Malvern Media

Clogged slog grinds on: Still seeing red over Burke Rd crossing

TRAFFIC is still snarling at Melbourne's fifth-worst ``redspot'', the level crossing at Gardiner train station, Burke Rd, Glen Iris, two years since it was named in a Leader road congestion survey.

Despite VicRoads ``fine-tuning'' traffic lights at the adjacent Burke and Malvern roads intersection, and replacing a traffic signal controller last year, the congested thoroughfare is still called a horrendous headache.

The RACV-Leader Community Newspapers Redspot Survey, held every two years, names Melbourne's roads and intersections most clogged with traffic.

RACV chief engineer Peter Daly said traffic flow needed to be improved at the Glen Iris redspot, but not much had been done to alleviate it.

``Burke Rd is a tricky one as there is a lot happening with trains, trams, cars and pedestrians,'' he said.

``In the last survey it was flagged as a real headache for motorists.''

Leader has timed the traffic snarls, taking nine minutes to travel less than a kilometre on Burke Rd over the train crossing last Wednesday about 5.15pm, and 11 minutes over the same distance about 8.35am on Friday.

In the 62 minutes between 8am and 9.02am Friday the level crossing boomgates were lowered for about 25 minutes and 21 seconds while 16 train services passed through Gardiner station. Malvern state Liberal MP Michael O'Brien said the crossing was ``horrendous''. He called for a train underpass or overpass.

Frustrated road-users are being urged to nominate congested areas through the RACV-Leader Community Newspapers Redspot Survey.